Listening

To my present understanding, it is clear that listening requires practice, sometimes it appears unexpectedly, sometimes it can appear with renewed efforts. Much of the time i would say that i am listening when i am reacting.

If first i can begin to listen to myself, my condition, my thoughts and feelings, all these reactions, then there arises the possibility to listen from a different place in oneself. To listen to another person, or to music, to become aware of sound that surrounds us all the time, cars, birds, humming sounds from computers, etc.... to listen to a sound as it is, first requires a listening to ones inner noise. Inwardly there is much going on, judgements, opinions, comparisons, evaluations.....probably right now, can i listen to this, then perhaps i can listen to something outside of myself, for a short time at least.

Acting

To consciously evoke an emotional response to a piece of music in my experience has a value, and not solely musical. We are unconscious beings, if an effort is made to awaken an emotion consciously then there is a much greater possibility of seeing this emotion when it appears as an unsconcious reaction. This element of music making can be likened to acting. In life we are actors, we do not choose the parts we play we are unaware of our roles, it seems to me that this more conscious acting can shed light upon our emotional reactions.    

Tones in Space

A tone exists and travels through space and the ear can listen. If the ear perceives this tone the voice can reproduce it. Tomatis and Kodaly realized this, the complete connection between the ear and the voice. Space also exists between two tones even if sounded at the same time. In music we call this an interval. 

Rhythm is a more physiological aspect to music. Similar to the mind, we can not see or touch tones in space but with practice we can use our ears to perceive them. 

Space and Time

All music exists within space and time, one aspect of music related to this is RHYTHM. I could define rhythm as the space between two points and the time at which those points are passed. 

Tomatis talked of the 'ear of the body'. Our perception of ourselves in space, our movements being carried out in a balanced, co-ordinated manner. Think of the timing involved in kicking a ball for example. 

When teaching a rhythmic phrase to someone whose ear does not function as well as it might, it is clear how fundamental our sense of space(balance) and time(co-ordination) is to the execution of that phrase. 

I am in the process of seeing to what extent sound rhythmic tuition helps improve ones balance and co-ordination, and for some result in a different perception of the whole.  

Playing

We make music with our ears!

Having an intention to communicate something... and listening for it.

Singing

We sing with our ears!

Harmony -- the resonance between two or more frequencies, or two or more people.

Listening

The ear is the organ of balance, and it is a passive receptor of sound. But you can reach the level of listening!